University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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Time for a break. Associated Student Government Vice President C arlos Williams and Twyiana Garland, president of Sigma Gamma Rho, relax during free time. The three-day conference served a dual role as it not only developed leadership skills of the participants, but also allowed them an opportunity to meet other student leaders from throughout campus. [Wichser photo] All about teamwork, in a teambuilding game of “survival of the fittest,” Lela Nelson, Michael Freeman, Scott Nelson and Giri Gowda prioritize the neccessities when stranded on the moon. Illustrating the importance of teamwork was one goal of the conference. [Wichser photo] A Chancellor chat, one of the most popular activities at the Fall Leadership Conference was a sit-down discussion with Chancellor Dan Ferritor. In the relaxed outdoor setting, students comfortably expressed their concerns and posed several candid questions. [Wichser photo J 14 FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

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from the Campfire Expecting a weekend full of the old ‘qualities “I hope they don’t make me do that‘tell-us-your-name-and-a-little-bit-about- yourself’ thing. I hate that,” I thought to myself, pondering the prospects of the first annual Fall Leadership Conference. Boy, was I in for the mother of all icebreaker-ramas. I had agreed to represent The ArkansasTraveler at the conference, thinking it would be a good way to start off the year: a little fun in the sun at Lake Fort Smith —some time away from the grind before it became a grind. What I got was a pair of pantyhose tied around my waist with a grapefruit hung in the toe in a perverse version of croquet; a new appreciation for the sport of skinny- dipping, once I saw who and how many people confessed to it in a revealing adaptation of tag; and a greater understanding of an administrator’s sensitive side, unveiled in a campfire tale of fond farewells andTINKling BELLS. In the beginning, when participants arrived to register, they took their name tags, grabbed a slice of free pizza and migrated toward their familiars. So, too, did they flock together on the Razorback Transit buses, but as the clumsy vehicles rumbled down Hwy 71, motion sickness brought everyone together. However, the distraction of sharing personal profiles which asked about “most embarrassing moments,” “least favorite foods,” and “favorite pastimes” undoubtedly played a large role in making former strangers new acquaintances. I had expected the conference to center around campus-specific issues; I thought we would toss around the usual hot potatoes: student parking, student fees, faculty evalua¬ tions, etc., etc., etc. And indeed, there was a free-for-all discussion with Chancellor Dan Ferritor, during which students asked questions and offered opinions about such matters. The primary objective of the gathering, however, seems to have been the removal of us all from our respective contexts and placement in one setting to deal with common issues. The amazing thing to watch, though, was the range of perspectives brought to the table. By the conference’s end, we had woven ourselves into a strong network, connected by the common bonds of wearing pantyhose around our waists and having a vested interest in each other as keepers of the future, both individual and shared. We were able to see humor in our differences (I still can’t believe Sohail doesn’t like lasagna),yet we were able to recognize in all seriousness the value of those differences in addressing similar concerns. By Alyson Low of a good leader’ routine, one adventurous reporter discovers a whole new approach to leadership and makes a few new friends along the way FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 13 4